Driver Smashes Through PetCo Store in Pittsfield

Updated at 6:20 p.m. with the name of the driver, make and model of vehicle, and specific time of the call.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — An elderly driver smashed through the glass-front windows at Pet Co. and traveled at least 100 feet into the building on Tuesday morning.

Officials said Alice Canning, 83, of Lenox was taken to Berkshire Medical Center for minor injuries after her car accelerated through the parking lot, and into the store.

Public safety officials said no customers, employees, or animals were hurt.

"It appears there's no or minor injuries at this time, just the driver herself is being treated by medical staff," said Fire Chief Robert Czerwinski at the scene."No store employees or customers appear to be injured in the incident."

The chain pet supply store is located in the former Kmart building on Merrill Road, tucked between T.J. Maxx and HomeGoods. The accident occurred at 11:29 a.m., when the store was open for business.

Czerwinski said the city's building and wire inspectors were en route to the scene to determine the condition of the building, citing significant damage to the front facade and some wiring. The store was evacuated.

"Obviously, we've got a late model Toyota that's deep into the building, almost 100 feet in there ... there's a glass front window that has been knocked out and there's some wiring on there that also needs to be looked at by the wire inspector," he said.

The small black car 2002 Toyota Camry appears to have entered just left of the main doors, near the small-animal pet section, and ended in the cat and dog food area. The animals -- fish, birds, reptiles and small animals -- are normally kept along left side of the building. The grooming section is on the right.

The appears to have barely avoided the cases for the mice and hamsters.

The driver was expected to be taken to Berkshire Medical Center for follow-up. She was the only occupant of the vehicle at the time.

Pittsfield Arraigns Second Suspect in Jones Shooting Death

Staff Reports05:04PM / Tuesday October 17, 2017

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — One of the men suspected in the shootout that killed Asiyanna Jones was arraigned Monday on assault and firearms charges.

Josaiah T. Bynum, 19, had not-guilty pleas entered on his behalf for single counts of armed assault with intent to murder, illegal possession of a firearm, rifle or shotgun, and of discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building.

Bynum is one of three men being investigated for a shootout on Dewey Street on Oct. 2 that led to the death of Jones, 22. Jones was reportedly in a vehicle with another woman when shots rang out near Dewey and Linden streets around 11 p.m.

Jones was struck in the head and taken to Berkshire Medical Center, then transported to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. Her death was ruled a homicide the next day.

Bynum was arrested on Sunday night at about 5 during a traffic stop on South Street. A second suspect, Justin D. Crawford, 20, was arrested Oct. 9 and police reportedly found a 9mm handgun in the sports utility vehicle he was in that was also believed to have been at the scene of Oct. 2's firefight, according to The Berkshire Eagle.

Police are still looking for Gary Linen, 36, who is believed to have returned fire the night of Oct. 2, including at the vehicle Jones was in, according to The Eagle.

Judge Jacklyn Connly ordered Bynum to be held at the Berkshire County House of Correction without bail; he is expected to be back in court for a pretrail hearing on Oct. 23.

Jones was a graduate of Pittsfield High School and had been a child-care worker at the Berkshire Family YMCA and was recently employed at Hillcrest Educational Center.

The investigation was conducted by members of the Pittsfield Police Department, with assistance from the Berkshire County sheriff's office, and state police detectives assigned to the district attorney's office, members of the Berkshire Law Enforcement Task Force, and the State Police Crime Scene Services Section and Firearms Identification Section.

Cromartie is accused of shooting James Dominguez III in the city-owned parking lot on Fenn Street on January 23, 2016. Police responded to 129 Fenn Street at 1:30 a.m. that morning to find Dominguez laying on the ground after being shot in the head. An autopsy confirmed the death a homicide.

Mayor Linda Tyer praised the Police Department in making strides toward solving two separate homicides in the city.

"The hard work, tenacity, and perseverance of our Pittsfield police department and their law enforcement partners has resulted in several significant arrests being made in two deadly crimes that took place in our city. In the long arch of justice, there is the first line of defense and that's the excellence of the Pittsfield Police Department," Tyer said.

Pittsfield Man Arrested For 2016 Murder

The District Attorney's office said James Cromartie, 31, of Pittsfield was arrested on a murder warrant Monday night. On Tuesday, Cromartie had a not guilty plea entered on his behalf on a single count of murder in Berkshire Superior Court.

Judge Paul Vrabel ordered that Cromartie is held at the Berkshire County House of Correction without bail. He will return to court on Nov. 15.

Cromartie is accused of shooting Dominguez in the city-owned parking lot on Fenn Street on January 23, 2016. Police responded to 129 Fenn Street at 1:30 a.m. that morning to find Dominguez laying on the ground after being shot in the head. An autopsy confirmed the death a homicide.

Now more than a year and a half later, Cromartie was taken into custody after a motor vehicle stop on Park Street around 4 p.m., according to police logs. When arrested, Cromartie was also allegedly in possession of cocaine. He is also facing a single count of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

Pittsfield Police Seeking Information on Liquor Store Robbery

At approximately 8:48 p.m., Pittsfield Police units responded to the Elm Street liquor store for a reported of an armed robbery. According to witness reports and a preliminary review of store surveillance video, responding officers were able to determine that a man had entered the store, produced a handgun and demanded that the two clerks give him money.

The suspect is described as black, standing more than 6-foot tall and weighting pproximately 200 pound. The suspect was dressed in all black clothing, including a baseball cap. His face was not

covered. The suspect was wearing eyeglasses and appeared to have some facial hair.

Store clerks did not recognize the suspect, who fled with an undetermined amount of cash from the store registers.

Patrol officers, including a K-9 unit, conducted an area search. The suspect was tracked to the rear of a nearby business, where the track ended.

This is an active and ongoing investigation. Anyone who may have been in the area of Elm Street and East Street last night near the time of the robbery is asked to contact the Pittsfield Police Detective Bureau at 413-448-9705. Tips can be left anonymously by telephone, Tip411 or via the Facebook page.

Updated: Woman Killed in Late-Night Pittsfield Shooting

Staff Reports09:17AM / Tuesday October 03, 2017

UPDATED: Wednesday, October 4, 2017 at 2:49 p.m.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The preliminary autopsy results show Asiyanna Jones, 22, died from a gunshot wound to the head. The case is being considered a homicide.

The autopsy was conducted by Dr. Robert Welton, an associate medical examiner for the office of the chief medical examiner, on Wednesday. The case remains under investigation.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A 22-year-old woman has died from injuries incurred in a late-night shooting Monday.

The District Attorney's office said Asiyanna Jones died after being shot in the area of 242 Dewey Ave. Monday night, shortly before 11 p.m. Jones was found inside a motor vehicle suffering from a gunshot wound. She was transported to Berkshire Medical Center first and then flown to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield.

She was pronounced dead at about 4 a.m. on Tuesday. An autopsy will be performed Wednesday.

There were reports of shots fired near Dewey Avenue and Linden Streets shortly before 11 p.m. and that one of the shots had gone through the windshield of a car. The driver apparently took the injured individual immediately to Berkshire Medical Center, according to scanner reports. Channel 10 News reported at about 7 a.m. that a woman had been killed and the victim's age.

Dewey Avenue had been blocked off by police on Monday night and into Tuesday morning. No further information was immediately available.

Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances leading up to the death of Jones and ask anyone who may have information to contact the Pittsfield Police Department Detective Bureau at 413-448-9705.